Dr. Brandy McCans, Peak to Peak.   Many people take either a multi-vitamin or some kind of B vitamin, which are two of the most common supplements consumed daily. The vitamin B complex, sold in a variety of forms, claims to help boost energy, increase muscle tone, fortify the nervous system, etc. Where people get lost is not understanding the difference between synthetic vitamins and vitamins rich in whole vitamin complexes. You see, you will never go outside and pick a vitamin B6, however, you can eat foods high in B6, and even better, if you have a B6 deficiency then you can take a more proactive approach and take supplements with concentrated whole B vitamin complexes.

When you see labels with a list of synthetic vitamins they’re most likely missing the important foods rich in whole vitamin complexes, meaning they’re likely missing biochemicals, phytonutrients, and other parts of the plant that we have not even discovered yet. These parts are just as important as the isolated nutrients. In fact, some suggest it’s vital to have the whole complexes for the appropriate assimilation of the nutrients themselves.

Our bodies were designed to assimilate real foods for growth and repair of organs and tissues, not synthetic chemicals. Therefore, vitamins are best derived from real food.

Vitamins, unlike drugs, are living complexes and it’s critical to get the enzymes, co-enzymes, and minerals that make up a naturally occurring vitamin complex. The other benefit of deriving vitamins from real food is that you always get more than what’s on the label. Most labels list vitamins like B1 Thiamine, B2 Riboflavin or B3 Niacin, but what’s missing are the other nutrients that often get shoved aside as unimportant. In an isolated vitamin like Centrum, One-A-Day, etc, they don’t add that stuff because it’s simply all chemicals, really no different than a drug. Actually, most isolated chemical vitamins are made by the drug companies!

Synthetic ingredients are much cheaper to produce in a laboratory, and many times toxic chemicals, like coal tar derivatives and/or GMO corn are used to process things like synthetic B vitamins. That means you’re getting more than you paid for, but not necessarily in a good way.

The other thing that doesn’t make the label are the phytonutrients that we have yet to discover. We are still learning nutrients in carrots, plus we’re finding new plant and super foods all the time. There’s just no replacement for nature.

There are other healthier options out there if you’re in the know. The first step is realizing that just because it’s on the shelf doesn’t mean it’s good for you. There are a lot of things out there, especially in the nutrition world, that will harm you if you aren’t careful. I would never buy supplements from places like Costco, as I am concerned about things like efficacy and 3rd party testing for toxins and carcinogenic, rancid oils that have been found in things like fish oil. It is vital to buy supplements from companies that source all the different foods that naturally contain the vitamin complexes and concentrate them down in a way that preserves the enzymes and nutrients and have third party testing to ensure you’re getting a bioavailable, high quality product, in turn, doing more good than harm. Our bodies are designed to utilize nutrients from nature, so make sure you’re selecting a high quality whole food supplement.

There are a few companies that I feel pass the test, including Garden of Life and Gaia Herbs. That being said, if you’re looking to treat more specific issues, like irritable bowel syndrome, heartburn, headaches, adrenal or thyroid imbalances, etc, you may want to get advice from a functional medicine practitioner or naturopath so that you can be guided to the appropriate things for your specific body. I can’t tell you how many patients send me pictures of their medicine cabinet and it’s chock full of half empty bottles of supplements they hoped would work. A knowledgeable practitioner can give you practitioner-prescribed supplements that’ll address the root cause of your concerns and can elicit resolution.

If you have further questions, consultations are complimentary.

*Always check with your doctor before changing your healthcare regimen. This is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure.